MILAN, July 21, 2020 - “We start work on Genoa’s Nodo Ferroviario (railway hub) with the same determination and pragmatism that we have shown in completing the new bridge. And we are doing it because Liguria, with the Terzo Valico (dei Giovi) project and the Nodo, can make up for this lack of infrastructure that Italy in general can no longer allow itself. It is something that takes away time, money and opportunities to develop something for current and future generations. There are more than 5,500 people working with us on the bridge, the Terzo Valico and the Nodo.” These are the comments made by Pietro Salini, Chief Executive of Webuild, at the inauguration of work on the Nodo in Genoa. Also present were Italian Infrastructure and Transport Minister Paola De Micheli; Calogero Mauceri, extraordinary commissioner for the Terzo Valico dei Giovi and the Nodo; Maurizio Gentile, Chief Executive of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI); and Genoa Archbishop Monsignore Marco Tasca

“Italy needs integrated projects for the long term and invest in them with resources that already exist,” said Salini. “Restarting work on the Nodo Ferroviario tells the story of Webuild, a Group that is stronger thanks to Progetto Italia, an initiative being conducted at the national level that involves some of the main companies in construction to kick-start the sector in Italy. It will ensure the continuity of strategic projects, the expertise and excellence of companies along the supply chain, and jobs for trades. The Genoa Model of good sense and collaboration, of accomplishing a lot while saying few words, must become the Italian model.”

Restarting work on the tunnels following the signing of a contract between RFI and Consorzio COCIV (the general contractor for the design and construction of the Terzo Valico dei Giovi led by the Webuild Group) brings to an end a two-year suspension of a strategic project that will establish a connection with Terzo Valico dei Giovi. The strengthening of the Nodo’s infrastructure in Genoa will ensure a connection with Terzo Valico that the port of Genoa needs for the coming and going of cargo trains. It will allow for the separate management of traffic for regional trains and those that do longer journeys. This will consequently increase the offer of regional and urban train services.

The Nodo project foresees the completion of civil works on the Colombo, San Tomaso and Polcevera tunnels in 30 months at a cost of €120 million. Terzo Valico, Nodo Ferroviario and the Campasso cargo train stop belong to a single project from 2019 valued at about €6.9 billion. It will accelerate work on the new railway between Genoa and the Po Valley, which is 40% complete and saw the involvement of Webuild and Astaldi, which is being folded into the Group.

RFI and COCIV also signed a contract for a route that will link the new railway section to Novi Ligure in Piemonte, and build a stop for cargo trains at San Bovo. Along the rail network of the Terzo Valico dei Giovi, cargo and passenger trains will travel at 250 kilometres an hour, improving links between northern Italy and the rest of Europe.

Once up and running, the Terzo Valico will offer train connections between Genoa and Milan in 50 minutes compared with the current one hour and 39 minutes. In addition to the construction of the high-speed section of the railway, there will also be the construction of four interchanges for Voltri, Genova Parco Campo, Novi Ligure and Tortona. The new railway will also be connected to these.

“The priority – in order to create jobs and bring confidence to Italians in this moment of crisis - must be to unblock quickly infrastructure projects that have already been planned, as well as simplify processes to start up new infrastructure inside strategic plans for schools, hospitals, metro and rail lines, requalification of urban areas. To get these projects to start up means guaranteeing Italy a sustainable future and a plan to help the GDP recover and create  employment in a sector that in Italy represents a strategic sector, with 8% of the GDP and more than one million jobs,” concluded Salini.